A Study of the Mechanical Properties of Composite Materials with a Dammar-Based Hybrid Matrix and Two Types of Flax Fabric Reinforcement

The need to protect the environment has generated, in the past decade, a competition at the producers’ level to use, as much as possible, natural materials, which are biodegradable and compostable. This trend and the composite materials have undergone a spectacular development of the natural components. Starting from these tendencies we have made and studied from the point of view of mechanical and chemical properties composite materials with three types of hybrid matrix based on the Dammar natural hybrid resin and two types of reinforcers made of flax fabric. We have researched the mechanical properties of these composite materials based on their tensile strength and vibration behavior, respectively. We have determined the characteristic curves, elasticity modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break, specific frequency and damping factor. Using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) analysis we have obtained images of the breaking area for each sample that underwent a tensile test and, by applying FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) analyzes, we have determined the spectrum bands and the chemical composition diagram of the samples taken from the hybrid resins used as a matrix for the composite materials under study. Based on the results, we have suggested that these composite materials could be used in different fields of activity.